Mackinaw City boys beat Ellsworth in key NLC clash
MACKINAW CITY – The Mackinaw City boys basketball team knows that if it wants to win the Northern Lakes Conference, it has to beat Ellsworth at least once.
Well, missioned accomplished.
On Monday, the Comets – fueled by four double-digit scorers and strong defense – took round one against the Lancers by earning an impressive 71-56 home victory in the first matchup between the two conference rivals this season.
The Comets (3-0, 2-0 NLC) used a solid first quarter to build a 21-13 lead, but the Lancers battled back to cut their deficit to five by halftime.
The third quarter was crucial for the Comets, who outscored the Lancers 18-12 and led by 11 heading into the last period.
In the fourth, the Comets did more than enough to earn the pivotal NLC win at home.
Senior Cooper Whipkey, who finished with 27 points and eight made 3-pointers in a victory over Onaway last week, led the Comets again with 20 points, while fellow senior Lars Huffman tallied 18. Junior forward Lucas Bergstrom also had another efficient night, finishing with 14 points and 16 rebounds. Senior Noah Valot was the last Comet to hit double digits with 12 points. Trystan Swanson scored four and Sabastian Pierce tallied three.
Ellsworth’s Kelan Pletcher led all scorers with 25 points. Jacob Jenuwine registered 19 points.
“Two of the top teams in the Northern Lakes Conference, who seem to have early battles every year, had another,” said Mackinaw City coach John Martin. “It wasn't pretty at times for us, and Ellsworth has the weapons to take advantage of our mistakes. Kelan Pletcher was great tonight with a game-high 25 (points). It seemed every time we tried to make a run, he had the shutdown answer.
“Cooper (Whipkey) did a nice job on both ends of the court tonight. Lucas Bergstrom registered another double-double with 14 points and 16 boards.”
Mackinaw City travels to Harbor Light for another NLC matchup on Monday, Dec. 19.
This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Mackinaw City boys beat Ellsworth in key NLC clash
